1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glass workpiece transporting and locating system for a glass processing machine, more specifically, the present invention relates to a glass transporting and locating system for a glass cutting table which can be easily retrofitted to existing glass cutting tables.
2. Prior Art
In the glass processing industry, a conventional glass cutting table comprises an air float table for transporting the glass workpiece to be cut and a bridge extending across the air float table. A vacuum or vent in the air float table will hold the workpiece for scoring. The bridge is movable along the air float table. The bridge typically includes a glass cutting head, also called a glass scoring head, for processing or cutting the glass workpiece according to a predetermined pattern. The glass workpieces must be fed onto and off of the glass cutting table. Additionally, the glass workpieces must be aligned on the glass cutting table. The alignment process typically utilizes two sets of perpendicular stops on the glass cutting table or a plurality of workpiece sensors on the bridge or the like for determining the exact orientation of the glass workpiece prior to cutting. The feeding and discharge of glass workpieces to and off of the glass cutting table is inefficient and often labor intensive.
The glass machining industry utilizes a wide variety of glass workpiece conveying and locating devices. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,354,796 and 4,444,541 to Bergman both disclose an air float table next to a conveyor which utilizes mechanical engagement between a pin and a workpiece carrying pallet for moving the pallet and clamped workpiece onto the desired location onto the air table for appropriate machining and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,331 to Hallahan et al. is directed toward an air float assembly table utilizing a vacuum cup assembly mounted on a carriage for engaging and linearly positioning the glass workpiece. Other glass transporting and processing systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,329 to Lukens, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,524 to Dahlberg et al. The difficulties with these prior art systems is that they are not easily adapted for use with existing glass cutting tables, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,357 to Curtze et al. or U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,756 to Haley et al.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned difficulties with the prior art. A further object of the present invention is to provide a glass transporting and locating system for a glass cutting table which can be easily retrofitted to existing glass cutting tables. A further object of the present invention is to provide a glass workpiece transporting and locating system for a glass cutting table which simultaneously feeds glass workpieces to the glass cutting table and ejects finished workpieces therefrom.
The above objects are achieved with a glass workpiece transporting and locating system according to the present invention. The glass workpiece transporting and locating system includes a bridge extending across the glass cutting table and movable along the length of the glass cutting table. A glass workpiece feeding table, such as an air float table, is positioned adjacent the glass cutting table and adapted to support a glass workpiece to be fed to the glass cutting table. At least one vacuum chuck is carried by the bridge at a position adapted to overlap a glass workpiece supported on the glass feeding table when the bridge is at one end of the glass cutting table. The glass workpiece transporting and locating system includes a mechanism for aligning the glass workpiece on the glass workpiece feeding table.
The mechanism for aligning glass workpieces on the glass workpiece feeding table may be formed of a retractable stop on the bridge with the retractable stop engagable with an edge of the glass workpiece supported on the glass workpiece feeding table for aligning the glass workpiece. Additionally, the retractable stop on the bridge may also engage with an edge of a finished glass workpiece on the glass cutting table for ejecting the glass workpiece off of the glass cutting table. A pair of retractable stops may also be positioned on the glass workpiece feeding table. Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of spaced vacuum chucks are provided on the bridge.
The glass workpiece transporting and locating system of the present invention is easily retrofitted onto existing glass cutting tables by providing a glass workpiece feeding table adjacent the glass cutting table and providing at least one vacuum chuck carried on the bridge at a position such that the vacuum chuck can overlap a glass workpiece supported on the glass workpiece feeding table when the bridge is at one end of the glass cutting table. The mechanism for aligning the glass workpiece on the glass workpiece feeding table can be installed as either retractable stops in the glass workpiece feeding table or retractable stops in the bridge, or both.
The present invention provides a method for feeding glass workpieces to a glass cutting table which begins with the moving of the glass workpiece onto the glass workpiece feeding table positioned adjacent the glass cutting table. The bridge of the glass cutting table is moved to one end of the glass cutting table such that at least one vacuum chuck carried thereon is overlapping the glass workpiece supported on the glass workpiece feeding table. The vacuum chuck is engaged with the glass workpiece on the glass workpiece feeding table and the bridge is advanced to move the glass workpiece onto the glass cutting table. Retractable stops on the bridge may be used for aligning the glass workpiece on the glass workpiece feeding table and/or ejecting a finished glass workpiece off of the glass cutting table.
The vacuum chucks carried on the bridge may not overlap the glass workpiece feeding table itself, but only overlap the glass workpiece supported thereon. For example, in a manual operation, the operator may advance the glass workpiece along the glass workpiece feeding table until a leading edge of the glass workpiece abuts a stop carried by the bridge. In this position, the leading edge of the glass workpiece may extend beyond the feeding table with the vacuum chucks overlapping the glass workpiece but not the feeding table.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be clarified in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments wherein like reference numerals represent like elements throughout.